By India McCarty
Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation just gave the Annecy Film Festival a first look at some of their upcoming projects, from the highly anticipated SMURFS to a new SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS movie.
“I’m delighted to bring the Smurfs back to the big screen with a project blending CG and 2D animation so closely,” director Chris Miller said of the movie. “For me, animation isn’t all about pixels and keyframes. It’s about moving an audience and infusing every frame with the same heart, color and charm that Peyo put in his original ideas more than 60 years ago.”
Nele De Wilde, CCO of Peyo Company, which holds the license for the Smurfs, praised Paramount for being “very respectful of our input,” adding, “Friendship, helping each other and respecting nature are timeless values at the core of the Smurfs’ identity. Paramount was committed to bringing these ideas to life in a modern, adventure-packed film.”
SMURFS will premiere in Brussels on June 28. The cast includes Rihanna, John Goodman, James Corden, Nick Offerman, Daniel Levy, Amy Sedaris, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Octavia Spencer, Nick Kroll, Hannah Waddingham, Alex Winter, Maya Erskine, Billie Lourd and Kurt Russell.
Paramount also gave festival-goers a first look at THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS, playing the first full act of the movie.
“We wanted to recapture the spirit of the first season,” director Derek Drymon explained. “I’m so thankful to Paramount for backing a creator-led project. What wins the day is being a kid, and that’s what we infused in this feature.”
Paramount and Nickelodeon have plenty of other exciting animated projects in the pipeline; PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE will premiere this summer on July 24, while fans of Nickelodeon’s AVATAR series can see THE LEGEND OF AANG: THE LAST AIRBENDER on Oct. 9.
Ramsey Naito, President of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, said, “We couldn’t be more excited to bring audiences everywhere this next chapter of PAW PATROL that is bigger, better, and bolder than ever — featuring a standout cast that brings these characters to life in fresh and exciting ways.”
Related: SMURFS Adds This Masked Music Star to Cast
A sequel to TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM is also on the way, but fans of the turtles will have to wait a little longer to see them on the big screen again. MUTANT MAYHEM 2’s premiere was moved from October of this year, to Sept. 17, 2027.
“I think the state of animation is in a really great place,” Naito said in a 2024 interview. “There’s never been a better time to be a creator and to make things and put them out there in the world.”
From the Smurfs to Spongebob to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, it looks like Paramount and Nickelodeon are gearing up for an animation-packed next few years.
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